Two Pink Lines
by A Lily In Highgarden
Summary: Juliette and Avery face the results of the one test that will change both of their lives. One-Shot. Fluff.


A/N: I really appreciate those that have been reading and reviewing my stories. These are the first bits of fanfiction I've published (outside of rping) so it is nice getting feedback.

On another note. All of my stories are written from the same future verse. You can take them individually or think of them as brief moments from one single timeline.

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><p>How long she had been sitting there, wrapped in a heavy robe and perched on the edge of the bathtub, she did not know. The last mark of time she remembered was the three minutes of anxious pacing before taking a look at the plastic white stick that would change her future. One hundred and eighty seconds of trying to decide how she would feel if her suspicions were true. But none of her anticipating prepared her to see those two pink lines.<p>

Juliette Barnes was going to be a mother.

Since seeing the affirmation of what her body had been telling her for weeks, the young blonde had been frozen in place and time, staring down at the test beside her as her mind raced to accept the idea that she was going to bring a child into this world. Faintly she heard her name being called from the floor below. Still she did not stir.

The sound of the creaking stairs let her know that she would not be alone much longer. Moments later Avery appeared in the doorway. "Hey, why didn't you-" and then his sentence stopped in his tracks as his eyes followed the direction of her gaze. All of her muscles tightened as she watched his cool eyes flit between her and the object that formerly held her attention.

After seconds that felt much longer he broke the silence. "Is that?"

"Yep," she replied with a pop on the 'p'.

"And are you?"

Silently she nodded, carefully watching for his reaction. She had not mentioned to him that she thought she might be with child, instead choosing denial for both of them until this moment, when she could no longer hide the truth.

"Wow. We're going to be parents," he said softly to himself, eyes wide and blinking. "I- Wow." Every feature of his face lit up, joy evident even in the creases around his eyes, and he crossed the few feet between them. Squatting in front of her he took her face in his hands and placed a kiss to her forehead.

For the first time since she had gone to the drugstore that morning the knot that had tied itself in her stomach loosened. Sure, they had talked about wanting kids but it was always some future version of them. Ones who were married and in a less chaotic time in their lives. A Juliette who still did not manage to burn at least one side of a grilled cheese sandwich. She had not been sure how Avery would feel about the sudden acceleration of their plans.

Their eyes locked on each other and he paused. "You don't look very happy."

"It's just-" She ran her tongue across the front of her teeth as she forced out the thought that had been plaguing her since the first time she had to make an unexpected run to bathroom a couple of weeks ago. "What if I'm a terrible mother?" Her voice was rough and uneven. "I never really had a good one to learn from."

"You don't have to worry about that," he said, taking hold of her hands and intertwining their fingers, "You are going to be a fantastic mother."

"How could you possibly know that," she asked, brow arched skeptically.

"I've seen the way you are with Rayna's girls." His eyes were focused on her, like he was staring straight into her soul. Juliette knew by now that it was one of those things he did when he was being serious, and truthful. "You don't have to think about it. It just comes naturally."

It was true that she had spent a significant time around Maddie and Daphne since Rayna signed her onto Highway 65. The girls always seemed to be flitting around the small building occupied by the label. Juliette also had a feeling that the pair made an extra effort to get their mom to bring them on days she was going to be there.

"That's different though. They're older. Can you honestly imagine me holding a baby?" Her thumb ran against the smooth metal band of the ring that adorned her left hand. A nervous habit she had picked up in the few months she'd been wearing the diamond.

A wide, warm smile broke on his lips and he inched closer to her, coming to rest on his knees. "Just some random baby? No. But our baby." He released his grip on one of her hands and slid it over to rest against her still flat stomach. The fact that there was a life growing there was sure to take some time getting used to. "An innocent piece of you and me put together. That I can picture perfectly."

Without meaning too the image of them sitting on the couch staring lovingly down at the unseen face hidden by blankets. Of them sitting on the floor, faces bright as a little tow headed girl took her first shaky steps between them. It was something out of a Hallmark commercial. Something that her life had never come close to representing until very recently. For the first time in weeks a peaceful warmth overtook her.

"Alright," she said with an uneven smirk, "but if this child turns out fucked up remember I warned you."


End file.
